by Mark Paskanik, AIA
Back in 1965, when Gordon Moore predicted that computing power would double every two years, he didn’t realize that his insight would become known as Moore’s Law. But he was right; and we’ve seen it play out in microchip technology ever since.
Today, we’re experiencing a similar doubling factor in other areas of science. Innovation is skyrocketing, thanks in part to organizations like the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Its biomedical research hub in Chicago will bring together minds from the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to develop nano technologies for cell and tissue research.
To stay ahead, we’re building a workforce to support this innovation: life sciences employment hit a record 2.1 million jobs at the start of 2023. What’s more, employment in the fields of life, physical, and social science is projected to grow 7% from 2021 to 2031, about the same rate as the average for all occupations. This increase is expected to result in about 98,700 new jobs over the decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Opportunities will also arise from the need to replace workers who leave their occupations permanently. About 147,900 openings each year, on average, are projected to come from growth and replacement needs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What’s driving this progress? In part, it’s the exponential growth of clinical trials. According to Clinicaltrials.gov, a mere 1255 trials were in place in 2000, while more than 400,000 are running in 2023.
So, we have the momentum, and the people in place to foster it. The last piece of the puzzle? Smart, flexible lab space, and lots of it.
Thankfully, we now have the capability to build labs to support any kind of technology and ground-breaking thinking. It’s a challenge, but it’s certainly not impossible to put strategies in place to design exceptional lab space for R&D, biological, chemical, energy, food innovation, clinical GMP and more. In fact, our goal is to build in flexibility so the scientists aren’t constrained by the space, and in fact, may even be inspired by their workspace.
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